Search the Loving Each Day Quotes

After you've forgiven a transgression and a judgment, there's only one thing to do: forget them. Whatever "protection" you think you may gain from remembering all your past grievances is far less important than the balm of forgetting. What's the value in forgetting? It's all in the word: forgetting -- to be in favor of getting, of receiving. If you have a clenched fist, it is difficult to receive. If you let go and open the fist, you have a hand. Then it's easy to receive. And to give.

Q: I have the sense that I didn't want to be here in a physical body or wasn't ready and that I hold a grudge towards God because I'm here. A: When a Soul incarnates here, it is because the Soul decided to do this beforehand, in the Spirit world. On the spiritual levels, this decision often looks easy -- like, "of course" -- and it can look hard or dumb from the limited perspective of this physical planet. There can also be a memory of the clarity and connection that's in the Spirit, and if it is not as evident to the consciousness, anger can be turned towards God. The anger is misplaced, however, since it was the Soul itself that freely made the decision to come here. The anger can usually be resolved when the misunderstandings are released and forgiven.

Being of service doesn't have to be grandiose; it may be as simple and as quiet as picking up the paper you see lying on the street or letting a neighbor use your phone. Often the opportunity to serve will present itself to you.

Take care of yourself and take care of others. Don't hurt yourself and don't hurt others. Taking care of yourself first and then taking care of others leads to objectivity in your consciousness. Not hurting yourself and not hurting others also leads to objectivity. Objectivity is watching; it's positive. It's loving. When you are objective, you are loving yourself first. You are taking care of yourself first. The objective point of view is not cold or calculating. It's the free, loving point of view.

Compassion is an understanding that becomes an open and free expression. It is an exchange of love as we experience our oneness together. And it comes through the state of who we are. Compassion works through the joy, the loving and all of the goodness of who we are. That is the true compassion.

Always speak kind words. Always.

You were given life to have joy and experience it more abundantly, and if you're not experiencing that, look at what you might be doing to block yourself. Communicate that information to yourself with integrity, regardless of ego or preferences. Then use the information, not as ammunition for self-judgment, but as an opportunity to lift yourself.

Although the Soul is perfect and is our most important aspect, it is the weakest aspect in the physical world. The physical is by far the strongest, and on the physical level a person's astral, causal, mental, and etheric aspects are all stronger than the Soul. The Soul will allow these lower aspects to lead the consciousness because, no matter what happens, the Soul is gaining experience. The Soul does not interfere with this because it is a noninflictive energy, and it will not inflict against anything, including the false or lower self. Nor can it inflict against the false self or the Soul of anyone else.

The nice thing about St. Francis of Assisi is that he saw the Lord in so many ways and in so many forms. It's very easy to see God when things are wonderful and very beautiful and warm and there's great fellowship. But it takes far greater courage to see that same face of God when it's cold, when there's no food, when there's been trouble with your spouse, when there's care and worry about people dying, when there's hunger in the world. We have an example in our brother Francis and our sister Clare, who a long time ago, in a time that was even more difficult than now, put their bodies on the line. They didn't put out words or opinions. They sought out the Lord in that sacred place inside that we know, asking "Lord, what do you want me to do?" In that the Lord often showed them the next step, and I'd be willing to bet that the Lord even pushed them a few steps.

In the teachings of MSIA, we speak of ten blessings -- loving, caring, sharing, health, wealth, happiness, abundance, prosperity, riches, and touching. Sometimes people ask, "What does touching have to do with the other nine blessings?" You are a touchable being. Being a physical human being is being someone or something that is touchable, meaning you are able to touch, and you are able to be touched. That's how you know you're alive. That's how you know you're something rather than nothing.